This Week: Secretary Haaland observes Endangered Species Day with a call to protect plants and wildlife before they become endangered; the Secretary makes an historic appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers"; the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is part of a renewed push to improve the safety and environmental sustainability of offshore energy development; new grants from the National Park Service will help tell the story of the tragic confinement of Japanese Americans during World War II; the Bureau of Reclamation has a new, four-legged detective on the case of invasive mussels; more grants from the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect neotropical migratory birds; and a great blue heron stands tall in our social media Picture of the Week!
Secretary Haaland Urges Action to Protect Wildlife & Plants on Endangered Species Day
Protecting plants and wildlife for the present, and for the future: On Endangered Species Day, Secretary Haaland encouraged everyone to think about the role they can play in saving animal and plant species from endangerment and extinction. “Whether we think about it regularly or not, plants and wildlife make all our lives better. And they need our active protection," she said. "At Interior we’re bringing partners together to recover plants, fish, wildlife and their habitats before they need protection under the Endangered Species Act.”
Secretary Haaland Appears on “Late Night with Seth Meyers”
Secretary Haaland made more history this week. The first Native American Cabinet Secretary became the first Interior Secretary to appear on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers." In a wide-ranging discussion, the Secretary talked about Interior's mission of conservation, land and resource stewardship, and improving the agency's role in managing climate change. And this being Late Night, she endured a little good-natured roasting about some of Interior's social media posts.
BSEE, DOE Join Texas A&M in Cooperative Effort for Offshore Safety
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Energy Department have joined with Texas A&M’s Engineering Experiment Station to support the ongoing operation and maintenance of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI). The Biden-Harris administration has committed to improving the safety and environmental sustainability of offshore energy development. The OESI will support critical improvements for all offshore energy activities, including renewable and traditional energy.
NPS Announces Grants for Japanese American Confinement Sites
The National Park Service this week announced the disbursement of more than $3.1 million in grants to support 22 education, preservation, and restoration projects that help tell the full story of an American tragedy, the confinement of more than 120 thousand Japanese Americans during World War II. Entire families were displaced and held in captivity under the mistaken suspicion they were more loyal to Japan during the war than they were to the United States. The damage done by these harmful actions is still felt in communities today.
Meet Puddles, the Mussel-Sniffing Dog Rooting Out Invasive Species
This is National Invasive Species Awareness week, but every week is awareness week for Reclamation’s mussel-sniffing dogs. They sniff out quagga and zebra mussels on boats as well as shorelines, and the new pooch on patrol is Puddles. She came from a shelter before getting her training. So far this year, Puddles has inspected more than 350 watercraft.
The Fish and Wildlife Service this week announced more than $27 million in grants to benefit migratory birds under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Nearly $5 million in federal dollars will be matched by more than $22 million in partner funds. Together they’ll pay for 30 collaborative conservation projects in 23 countries across the Americas.
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